In partnership with Fashion Fringe, our New Silk Road campaign recently gave four talented designers the opportunity to broaden their cultural influences before bringing their collections to the catwalks of London Fashion Week.

What is Fashion Fringe?
Fashion Fringe is a high-profile annual nationwide search to uncover UK-based fashion design talent. The event, the brainchild of UK fashion journalist Colin McDowell, was launched in 2004 by IMG Fashion Europe and culminates with four finalists competing to win the prestigious Fashion Fringe prize. Each finalist must produce a collection to be shown on the catwalk at the Fashion Fringe event during London Fashion Week in September. This makes it a perfect partner for our New Silk Road campaign, which aims to reinvigorate the arts traditions of Central and South Asia in the UK.

Joining forces with the Fashion Fringe
Talking of this unique relationship with New Silk Road, Colin McDowell said: ‘One of the most exciting partnerships we have forged is with the British Council, which took our finalists to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to help to create relationships with fabric producers and manufacturers there. It has also sponsored young designers from those four countries to travel to London, so that they can work with the finalists on their collections and be there on the day of the show. This is exactly the spirit of international co-operation that Fashion Fringe believes in, and we are excited at the prospect of extending the scheme in years to come.'

The four finalists
Saida Amir (Uzbekistan), Zhanara Mirzazhanova (Kazakhstan), Farhad Abu Salah (Bangladesh) and Attiya Javed (Pakistan) were chosen as the four finalists. Their prize was a programme of inspiration, mentorship and professional experience. As Catherine Ince, Design Curator and Project Manager, says: ‘The programme was designed to radically expand the horizons of the protégés. What we wanted to bring was mentorship and opportunity for both the finalists and the countries involved. We also stipulated that the designers must somehow incorporate what they discovered from their trips into their collections.'

Taking to the catwalk at London Fashion Week
The programme finished with a high-profile catwalk show held in London's Covent Garden on 20 September. 'The finalists had each drawn on their discoveries in Central and South Asia and included elements in the collections on show', says Catherine, 'from exquisite signature jewellery pieces and styling directions to bespoke fabrics and hand-made, decorative garment ornaments and shoes. The protégés were really delighted to see their work on show and delighted to have the opportunity to talk.'